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"Pay or Leave"... Militia Equation Strangles Afrin's Olive Farmers
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Monopoly of olive presses reflects attempt to control original residents' main income source and turn it into pressure and extortion tool
The suffering of Simalka village residents in rural Afrin has become a stark example of the olive season crisis in the region, where "Sultan Murad" militia imposes a ban on harvesting until opening their private press.
Olives represent the backbone of local economy in Afrin, famous for its ancient trees, some over thousand years old, producing Syria's finest olive oil.
Most villages in Afrin region face similar challenges, as armed militias control olive presses and force farmers to pay royalties ranging from 15% to 30% of their production.
These practices have led to sharp decline in farmers' revenues, especially with rising costs of tree care and harvesting, while some are forced to sell their crops at low prices to controlling militias.
Local estimates indicate Afrin contains more than 18 million olive trees, annually producing about 70,000 tons of oil before the Syrian crisis.
Thousands of trees were cut and vandalized in recent years, while large areas of orchards were seized and redistributed to militia elements or sold to loyal investors.
Farmers' fears of crop theft increase, especially in villages where residents are prevented from accessing their fields, where organized olive theft phenomenon spreads without deterrent.
Many farmers are forced to contract with militia-linked intermediaries to protect their crops, for an additional production share reaching 20%.
Militias impose strict system for transporting olives and oil between areas, through checkpoints imposing additional fees on each shipment, increasing production costs and reducing farmers' profit margin.
Levant-Agencies
